Founder Focus | Dust Moto

In our Founder Focus series, we spotlight innovative minds reshaping industries and inspiring others to pursue bold ideas. Today, we’re featuring Colin Godby, Founder and CEO of Dust Moto.

Fallon Mertz: Tell me a little about your background.

Colin Godby: I’m a mechanical engineer by trade and studied at UC Santa Barbara. Growing up, I wasn’t sure how to apply my math and science skills, but I realized engineering allowed me to design and build things, cars, bikes, and physical products, which really clicked early on. I started my career working on advanced vehicle technologies, electrification, military vehicles, concept cars, and even theme park rides at a company called Milan Works, an engineering consultancy. That experience taught me a ton about product design. From there, I moved into consumer products at Skullcandy, where I learned about mass production, global supply chains, and manufacturing at scale. Throughout my career, I’ve been driven by curiosity and growth—constantly chasing new challenges rather than comfort. That’s taken me from Southern California to Utah for Skullcandy, back to SoCal for Disney Imagineering, then to Colorado for Sphero, Seattle for Glowforge, and eventually into the electric motorcycle world.

Fallon Mertz: You have to tell me about your time at Disney!

Colin Godby: Yes! I worked at Walt Disney Imagineering in Glendale on Avatar Flight of Passage at Animal Kingdom in Orlando. I was one of the lead engineers on that ride, collaborating with a massive cross-disciplinary team, everything from landscape architects to animatronic designers. Our building shared space with the R&D team, which was surreal. We were under strict security since we had early access to Avatar film concepts before Way of Water was even announced. Working with James Cameron and his Lightstorm team to bring that vision to life was an incredible experience. He’s a huge tech enthusiast, and we were using some of the world’s brightest laser projectors and largest wraparound 3D screens to make riders truly feel like they were flying on the back of a Banshee.

Fallon Mertz: That’s amazing. So how did Dust Moto come about?

Colin Godby: There are three co-founders, myself, Jarett, and Neil. We all met working together at UBCO, an electric motorcycle company. I was Chief Product Officer, Jarett was a senior industrial designer, and Neil led marketing. We had identified an exciting market opportunity at UBCO but couldn’t fully pursue it there. That unfinished business became the spark for Dust. We’d seen the space evolving, electric two-wheelers gaining traction, young riders turning them into a movement, but no American brand was really leading. We wanted to change that. Personally, I’d realized electric dirt bikes removed many of the barriers to entry. Without the clutch, shifter, and complex controls of a gas bike, I could just ride and have fun faster, and I knew millions of others would feel the same. That was the “aha” moment.

Fallon Mertz: How did you come up with the name Dust?

Colin Godby: Jarett and I were brainstorming in his kitchen, doing all the early startup things: defining our mission, brand voice, aesthetic, and name. We had a few ground rules: it needed to be short, memorable, easy to spell, and searchable. We wanted something evocative of riding, something raw and natural, but still sharp. We tossed around a lot of ideas, and one day I said, “What about Dust?” At first, Jarett wasn’t sure, but it grew on us overnight. It just fit, simple, elemental, and perfectly tied to off-road culture. Plus, surprisingly, no one else was really using it.

Fallon Mertz: What were the first steps you took to make the business legitimate?

Colin Godby: We incorporated quickly, built a simple website and newsletter, and announced what we were doing on LinkedIn. We didn’t want to be a “stealth mode” startup, we wanted to plant the flag: an American electric dirt bike brand is coming. Soon after, we launched a crowdfunding campaign called Founders 50 to attract our first 50 customers. They committed to monthly payments toward a future bike. We hit our goal within 24 hours, which gave us both proof of demand and investor credibility. That momentum led to our friends and family funding round in August 2023, which let us build our first prototypes.

Fallon Mertz: Where are you now in development?

Colin Godby: Our first prototypes, the Alpha bikes, were proof of concept. We tested them across the U.S. and shared the process publicly with our backers. Now we’re in the Beta phase, with fully custom powertrains, motors, and batteries. We plan to deliver bikes to our Founders 50 in early 2026, with broader sales following soon after.

Fallon Mertz: How important is design in Dust’s philosophy?

Colin Godby: Design is everything. It’s why one of our co-founders is an industrial designer. We wanted Dust to stand out in an industry where bikes often look overly aggressive and complex. Our aesthetic is clean, minimal, and more automotive-inspired, appealing to a wider range of riders, including women. Design extends beyond the bike. It’s in our website, branding, and content. We want people to look at Dust and say, that company is beautifully designed, not just the product, but the whole experience.

Fallon Mertz: What’s been the biggest engineering challenge?

Colin Godby: The biggest is always the powertrain, integrating the battery, controller, and software so everything talks to each other seamlessly. But the hardest part overall is making sure the product truly delivers on its promise. It’s easy to make big claims; it’s harder to overdeliver. Getting that “recipe” right, where every little detail works together to make the bike feel incredible, is one of our strongest moats.

Fallon Mertz: What advice would you give early-stage entrepreneurs?

Colin Godby: Test your assumptions early. Our Founders 50 program showed us real customer demand before we’d even finished the bike. A lot of startups delay testing because they think they’re not “ready,” but you can always validate pieces early. And honestly, entrepreneurship isn’t for everyone. You need an extremely high threshold for pain and perseverance. Starting Dust has been amazing, but it’s also the hardest thing I’ve ever done. You give up a lot of balance and social life for a while. The trick is holding on long enough to “pop up”, like wakeboarding, where you finally break through the drag and start to glide.

Fallon Mertz: What sets Dust apart from competitors?

Colin Godby: A few things. First, our design and attention to detail. Second, our transparency, building in public and bringing customers along for the ride. Third, our position in the market: between the cheap imports and the ultra-premium options, offering high performance that’s still accessible. And finally, our experience. We’ve built electric vehicles, consumer products, and startups before. That combination helps us move faster and smarter.

Fallon Mertz: How important has legal representation been in your journey?

Colin Godby: Crucial. We’re taking investment and building a physical product that can hurt people if mishandled. Having strong legal guidance protects us, our investors, and our customers. There’s also a lot of day-to-day legal work, contracts, HR, partnerships, and it’s not something you want to DIY. It’s like running a brewery: you should focus your energy on making the beer taste better. Everything else, like legal, should be handled by experts so you can stay focused on what you do best.